God, the pandemic, and horrific meaning
One day earlier this week I watched an interview with Tom Holland, author of the book Dominion. In that volume he shares his journey as a disillusioned historian and liberal who at one point valued the Roman empire, but who eventually came to question the violence and devaluation of others that came with it. As […]
Religion in the Legend of Zelda
I enjoy the ReligionForBreakfast page at YouTube. It combines good academic study of religion from the perspective of religious studies, with an accessible approach to a number of topics. One video from 2017 is relevant to the interests of this blog in its exploration of religion in the video game Legend of Zelda.
New Nosferatu “Silent Screamer” from Mezco
I’m always on the lookout for new horror and science fiction toys and figures for my collection. I’m pretty picky and tend to like the more realistic rather than the lighter and fun types (e.g., Funko). A new figure from Mezco Toyz caught my eye recently thanks to an article in Rue Morgue magazine. It’s […]
Call for submissions – Religion and Horror Comics
While many genres offer the potential for theological reflection and exploration of religious issues, the nature of horror provides unique ways to wrestle with these questions. Since the EC Comics of the 1950s, horror comics have performed theological work in ways that are sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, but frequently surprising and provocative. This volume will […]
Joseph Laycock releases “The Penguin Book of Exorcisms”
I’m pleased to announce that a new book is available starting today, The Penguin Book of Exorcisms by Joseph Laycock. From the promotional material made available by the publisher: While researching The Penguin Book of Exorcisms, Professor Laycock discovered sources and translations that haven’t been previously reported or published, including: · The most “unpublished” text is The Earling […]
Premier issue of “The Journal of Gods and Monsters”: The Monstrosity of Displacement
I’m pleased to announce the first issue of The Journal of Gods and Monsters is now available. Monsters are often defined as those unfortunate beings displaced from the “normal,” and in the inaugural issue of The Journal of Gods and Monsters, we are exploring this displacement and the role of religious traditions in its construction, […]
Recommended Reading on World War I, Horror and the Supernatural
I’ve read and watched a lot on World War II over the years, since I was a child actually, watching films with my dad growing up. World War I is another story. I’ve only recently have I taken a closer look at the Great War in more depth. In addition to recommending a viewing of […]
Two items on horror and psychology
A couple of items have appeared over the last week or two that are worth noting in regards to horror and psychology. The first is “An Infectious Curiosity: Morbid Curiosity and Media Preferences During a Pandemic” published in Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture. This article was picked up by a lot of popular media outlets, […]
Scientific journal article: “Possession myth as a lens for understanding cultural and psychological evolution”
Boutwell, Brian B., Mathias Clasen & Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen. 2020. “We are legion”: Possession myth as a lens for understanding cultural and psychological evolution. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. doi:10.1037/ebs0000197. In most religious traditions, there exists the conception that human beings can lose their freedom of will to an invading consciousness. We argue that possession myths emerge from […]
Theme of Monsters and the Bible in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology
Monsters and the Bible Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/INT/current Vol. 74, No. 2 (April 2020) On the Impossibility and Inevitability of Monsters in Biblical Thought Kim Paffenroth After general considerations of what constitutes a “monster,” this essay examines the examples of “monsters” in the Bible, showing that the Bible does not as […]
